Strange Magic (Essex Witches Mystery 1) by Syd Moore

Rosie Strange doesn’t believe in ghosts or witches or magic. No, not at all. It’s no surprise therefore when she inherits the ramshackle Essex Witch Museum, her first thought is to take the money and run.

Still, the museum exerts a curious pull over Rosie. There’s the eccentric academic who bustles in to demand she help in a hunt for old bones, those of the notorious Ursula Cadence, a witch long since put to death. And there’s curator Sam Stone, a man about whom Rosie can’t decide if he’s tiresomely annoying or extremely captivating. It all adds up to looking like her plans to sell the museum might need to be delayed, just for a while.

Finding herself and Sam embroiled in a most peculiar centuries-old mystery, Rosie is quickly expelled from her comfort zone, where to her horror, the secrets of the past come with their own real, and all too present, danger as a strange magic threatens to envelope them all.

My Thoughts:

Strange Magic is a novel that young adults and adults a like can read and enjoy.

I loved the idea of inheriting a museum, especially one to do with witches. Sadly Rosie wants rid and to get back to her everyday life. These plans are delayed though when they end up on a mission to find the bones of a witch.

Rosie is quite a head strong character but I think she meets her match with Sam. Sam is very passionate about his work in the museum and he is determined to change Rosie’s mind as well as help her on their mission.

I have to admit when I read the description, I think because it’s to do with dark magic and witches I thought it would be darker than what it actually is. Being a horror and crime fan, I love my books quite dark. Where as this is a good read, it just wasn’t quite dark enough for me. I would certainly still recommend it for people who like a mysterious and engaging read that is more on the lighter side though.

My thanks to Cailin at Point Blank for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

Goodreads rating 3/5 stars.

Strange Magic is out on the 4th of May and available to pre order on Amazon.

Thanks Shelley. It would definitely do well with the YA market. I got the book months back and didn’t know anything about it and think i would have enjoyed it more if i knew what type of book it was as with reading so many crime and horror i had something totally different in mind. Still a good book though.